Roll-out structure with self-tightening feature

ABSTRACT

A slat for use in a roll-out sheet of construction material is provided. The slat has an elongated body extending longitudinally. A projection is disposed at a first lateral end of the body. A socket is disposed at a second lateral end of the body, opposite to the first lateral end. The projection and the socket are structurally complementary to each other. A wedge is formed with the projection as a self-tightening mechanism. A roll-out structure is also provided. The roll-out structure has at least two adjacent slats which are structurally the same. The projection of one of the slats is insertable into the socket of the other slat to connect them, and the projection is rotatable in the socket. The rotation of the projection in the socket allows the wedge to engage the socket, to lock the slats with each other.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to the field of building materials and more particularly to a universal modular roll-out building material with self-tightening features.

There is a long recognized need for modular construction material, for example, roofing, flooring, roadways and the like, which can be delivered from a remote location, rapidly assembled and deployed, and easily removed when it is no longer required.

Traditionally, the modular construction material includes a series of panels which can be linked or jointed to form a roofing or roadway having a flat surface. The panels are laid according to a predetermined pattern (for example, side by side) and, subsequently, assembled with each other by using connectors, including straps, cords, adhesives, metal fasteners and the like.

The known construction material has several drawbacks. For example, assembly and disassembly of the panels are complex and require significant amount labor and time. Furthermore, the extra connectors, required in addition to the panels, incur additional costs on material and transportation. In addition, secured coupling of the panels cannot be ensured, because of the potential breakage, abrasion, erosion or otherwise damage of the connectors; accordingly, deformation can occur to the deployed roofing or roadway.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Therefore, in order to address these and other deficiencies in the prior art, provided according to an aspect of the present invention is a slat for use in a roll-out structure of construction material. The slat includes an elongated body extending longitudinally; a projection disposed at a first lateral end of the body; a socket disposed at a second lateral end of the body opposite to the first lateral end; and a wedge associated with the projection. The projection and the socket are structurally complementary to each other.

Preferably, the slat further includes a ledge disposed at the first lateral end of the body and a shelf disposed at the second lateral end of the body. The bottom surface of the ledge and the top surface of the shelf are substantially vertically aligned with each other.

Preferably, the slat further includes a first beveled edge disposed at the first lateral end of the body and a second beveled edge disposed at the second lateral end of the body.

Preferably, both the projection and the socket are substantially cylindrical and have a circular lateral cross section.

Preferably, the wedge is integrally formed with the projection and the circumferential span of the wedge with respect to the center of the circular lateral cross section of the projection is within the range of 5°-30°. More preferably, the circumferential span of the wedge is 15°.

Preferably, the slat further includes at least one hole formed in the body.

Preferably, the slat further includes at least one opening formed in the body, which opening is exposed to a bottom surface of the body.

Preferably, the projection includes a groove and the socket includes an elevation. The groove and the elevation are structurally complementary to each other.

A roll-out structure of construction material is provided according to another aspect of the present invention. The roll-out structure includes at least a first slat and a second slat which are structurally the same. Each slat includes an elongated body extending longitudinally; a projection disposed at a lateral end of the body and a socket disposed at an opposite lateral end of the body; and a wedge associated with the projection. The projection and the socket are structurally complementary to each other. The projection of the first slat is insertable into the socket of the second slat to connect the first slat to the second slat, and a gap is provided between the projection of the first slat and the socket of the second slat to allow rotation of the projection in the socket. The wedge of the first slat engages the socket of the second slat to lock the first slat and the second slat, upon rotation of the projection of the first slat in the socket of the second slat.

Preferably, each slat further includes a ledge disposed at the lateral end of the body and a shelf disposed at the opposite lateral end of the body. The bottom surface of the ledge and the top surface of the shelf are substantially vertically aligned with each other.

Preferably, each slat further includes a first beveled edge disposed at the lateral end of the body and a second beveled edge disposed at the opposite lateral end of the body.

Preferably, both the projection and the socket are substantially cylindrical and have a circular lateral cross section.

Preferably, the wedge is integrally formed with the projection and the circumferential span of the wedge with respect to the center of the circular lateral cross section of the projection is within the range of 5°-30°. More preferably, the circumferential span of the wedge is 15°.

Preferably, each slat further includes at least one hole formed in the body.

Preferably, each slat further includes at least one opening formed in the body, which opening is exposed to a bottom surface of the body.

Preferably, the projection includes a groove and the socket includes an elevation.

The groove and the elevation are structurally complementary to each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to like structures across the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roll-out structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a single slat of the roll-out structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the detailed structure of the slat;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of two adjacent slats showing the insertion of one slat into the other;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the two adjacent slats showing the slats locked with each other;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a roll-out structure according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of two adjacent slats according to FIG. 6, showing the insertion of one slat into the other; and

FIG. 8 is a front view of the two adjacent slats showing the slats locked with each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 illustrates a roll-out structure 10, which can be in the form of a rollable sheet, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The roll-out structure 10 includes a plurality of slats 100, which are structurally the same or similar. Any two adjacent slats of the roll-out structure 10 are connected to each other to permit the roll-out structure 10 to be deployed in a rollable manner.

As shown in FIG. 1, a three-dimensional coordinate system is defined. In this coordinate system, each slat extends longitudinally along the X-axis; the jointed slats extend laterally in a rollable manner along the Y-axis; and each slat extends vertically in its thickness along the Z-axis. Preferably, the slats 100 have identical longitudinal, lateral, and/or vertical dimensions, to ensure interchangeability of the slats.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of a slat 100. The slat 100 is substantially flat and elongated, extending in the longitudinal direction. For example, the length of the slat in the longitudinal direction is substantially larger than the width in the lateral direction and the thickness in the vertical direction.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the slat 100 along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2. The slat 100 has an elongated body 101, which has a top surface 102 and a bottom surface 104. The top surface 102 and the bottom surface 104 are substantially flat and parallel with each other, to define the thickness T of the slat 100. Alternatively, part or all of the surfaces 102 and 104 can be concave or convex, or angled with respect to teach other, which allows the roll-out structure 10 to be other than flat when deployed. In this and other figures, clearances are exaggerated to show the parts of the embodiments, and the figures should not be interpreted as being to scale.

As shown in FIG. 3, the slat 100 includes a ledge 106 and a projection 108 provided at a first lateral end of the slat 100, which in combination serve as a male component for joining the slat with an adjacent slat. The slat 100 further includes a socket 110 and a shelf 112 provided at an opposite second lateral end of the slat 100, which in combination serve as a female component for joining the slat with an adjacent slat.

For example, the projection 108 is structurally complementary to the socket 110, which permits adjacent slats 100 to be rotatably assembled with each other to form the roll-out structure 10. In the shown embodiment, the projection 108 is substantially cylindrical in the longitudinal direction. The projection 108 has a substantially circular lateral cross section, which is substantially consistent along the length of the slat 100. The socket 110 defines a complementary space S for operatively receiving the projection 108. The space S is also substantially cylindrical in the longitudinal direction, and properly dimensioned to permit insertion of the projection 108 with force into the space S and rotation of the projection 108 within the space S.

Other complementary configurations of the projection and the socket are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the socket can be a rounded “bull-nose” notch, and on the opposite lateral side, the projection can be a “bull-nose” tab dimensioned to snugly mate with the notch.

The ledge 106 and the shelf 112 are preferably structurally complementary to permit the ledge to sit on the shelf of an adjacent slat, which enhances the integrity and strength of the roll-out structure 10. In the shown embodiment, the ledge 106 has a flat bottom surface 114 and the shelf 112 has a flat top surface 116. The bottom surface 114 and the top surface 116 are substantially aligned vertically, yet spaced from each other laterally, such that when two adjacent slats are rotated with each other to deploy the roll-out structure, the ledge of one slat sits on the shelf of the other slat. However, the complementary bottom surface of the ledge and top surface of the shelf can be curved or otherwise non-flat. The top surface of the ledge 106 forms a part of the top surface 102 of the elongated body 101, or is continuous with the top surface 102. The bottom surface of shelf 112 forms a part of the bottom surface 104 of the elongated body 101, or is continuous with the bottom surface 104.

As shown in FIG. 3, the slat 100 includes a first beveled edge 120 extending between the top surface 102 and the outer circumferential surface 122 of the projection 108. The first beveled edge 120 and the top surface 102 define an angle a in the range of 90°-180°, preferably in the range of 120°-150°. The beveled edge 120 allows the slats to have a greater degree of rotation upwardly.

Alternatively or additionally, the slat 100 includes a second beveled edge 124 provided at the opposite lateral side of the first beveled edge 120. The second beveled edge 124 extends between the top surface 102 and the inner circumferential surface 126 of the socket 110. The second beveled edge 124 is inclined oppositely with respect to the first beveled edge 120. The second beveled edge 124 and the top surface 102 define an angle β in the range of 90°-180°, preferably in the range of 120°-150°. The beveled edges 120 and 124 are dimensioned to beneficially reduce storage size required for the roll-out sheet.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an alternative configuration of two adjacent slats 200 and 300. In this configuration, the slats 200 and 300 are jointed with each other; the slats 200 and 300 are ready to lock with each other, to prevent potential movement of the slats with respect to each other along the longitudinal direction.

The slats 200 and 300 have the same structure as the slat 100. Initially, the projection 108 of the slat 300 is inserted into the socket 110 of the slat 200, while the bottom surfaces of the slats 200 and 300 define an angle μ. The angle μ can be in the range of 15°-75°, preferably, about 45°.

When the projection 108 is inserted into the socket 110, the socket 110 temporarily deforms and expands to allow the projection 108 to be positively and snugly received within the socket 110, because of the resilience of the material for forming the slats. Certain tolerance is provided between the jointed projection and the socket, i.e., between the outer circumferential surface 122 of the projection 108 and the inner circumferential surface 126 of the socket, to allow the slat 300 to rotate with respect to the slat 200. For example, after the projection 108 of the slat 300 is inserted into the socket 110 of the slat 200, a gap G (shown in FIG. 5) of about 0.003 inches is provided between the projection and the socket.

Each slat 200 or 300 includes a self-tightening mechanism for implementing or enhancing locking of the two slats. As shown in FIG. 4, the self-tightening mechanism includes a wedge 130 associated with the outer circumferential surface 122 of the projection 108. The wedge 130 is preferably formed with the projection 108 through a material extrusion process. For example, the wedge 130 can be a single piece of material, extending along the entire length of the projection 108; alternatively, the wedge 130 can be disposed discretely at certain predetermined location(s) along the length of the projection 108.

The wedge 130 is properly dimensioned, such that when the slat 300 is rotated clockwise (or the slat 200 is rotated counterclockwise) from the insertion position, the wedge 130 progressively engages the inner circumferential surface 126 of the socket 110 to create a cam type lock between the slat 200 and the slat 300. When the slat 300 is rolled to align vertically with the slat 200, the cam type lock prevents the slats 200 and 300 from moving longitudinally with respect to each other, as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the final product will not become loose. According to another aspect of the invention, the slats can be pre-connected and packaged in a compact manner in a roll. During the deployment of the slats for forming a roofing (for example), the adjacent slats can be simply rolled to form a flat surface of the roofing; at the same time, the slats are locked consequently, as the slats are rolled, to achieve a self-tightened roofing.

In addition, the cam type lock created by the wedge 130 will eliminate the gap G between the projection 108 and the socket 110, when the slats 200 and 300 are vertically aligned. Without the gap, any potential lateral movement between the adjacent slats is prevented, which in turn further enhances the integrity, stability and torsional strength of the roll-out structure. Alternatively or additionally, stop pins can be provided to achieve or enhance the locking result.

The wedge 130 can have a variety of shapes and profiles. For example, the wedge can be crescent-shaped to permit easy progressive engagement between the wedge and the socket. Furthermore, the position of the wedge 130 on the projection 108 and the circumferential span of the wedge 130 with respect to the center of the projection 108 are properly determined, such that when the projection 108 is inserted into the socket 110, no obstruction occurs. As shown in FIG. 4, the wedge 130 has a circumferential span defined by π, which is between 5° and 30°, preferably 15°.

The slats 100, 200 and 300 can be of solid cross-section, for example if manufactured of plastic, wood or metal. Alternately, the slats can have hole(s) and/or opening(s) disposed longitudinally through the slats. Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of holes 152 and a plurality of openings 154, exposed to the bottom surface 104, are provided to the slat 100. The provision of these holes and openings can effectively reduce the weight of the roll-out structure, while maintaining the strength of the structure at a satisfactory level. The holes and openings can be formed through extrusion of plastic or metal materials. In addition, these holes and openings can be advantageously filled with other material, for example one or more of foam or fiberglass, as insulation against transfer of heat and/or sound, for example.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a slat 400 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The slat 400 includes an elongated body 402, which is similar to the elongated body 101 of the slat 100. Certain parts of the elongated body 402 can be selectively hollowed to reduce the weight and material of the slat 400, without comprising the structural strength of the slat 400. The slat 400 also includes a projection 404, which is provided at an end of the body 402, and a socket 406, which is provided at the opposite end of the body 402. The projection 404 and the socket 406 have profiles complementary to each other, such that the projection 404 of a slat can be inserted into the socket 406 of an adjacent slat to join the two slats together, as shown in FIG. 7.

The projection 404 has a curved, preferably rounded, profile. In this embodiment, the projection 404 further includes a groove 408, which is recessed from the outer circumference of the projection 404. The socket 406 has a C-shaped profile, which defines a space to admit the projection 404. The socket 406 is properly dimensioned to allow the projection 404 to enter the space of the socket 406 and form a snug-fit with the socket 406. The socket 406 includes an elevation 410 extending toward the space, which is located at the edge of the C-shaped socket. The elevation 410 is configured to be substantially structurally complementary to the groove 408. In operation, after the projection 404 of a slat has been inserted into the socket 406 of an adjacent slat (as shown in FIG. 7), the slats are rotated with respect to each other to allow the elevation 410 associated with the socket 406 to positively engage the groove 408 associated with the projection 404. The engagement between the elevation 410 and the groove 408 locks the two adjacent slats, as shown in FIG. 8. The projection 404 of the slat 400 can also have a wedge as described in the previous embodiment.

The roll-out sheathing and the slat as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-5 are designed to be customizablely joined with any number of slats with a minimum of effort and, generally, without the need for tools. Thus, the roll-out sheathing can be provided as individual slats, which are later joined on-site by a contractor or homeowner.

In an alternative arrangement, a predefined number of slats may be provided prepackaged, and pre-joined. However, the modular design of the slats allows the user to easily remove unneeded slats from the roll-out sheathing or, when necessary, add additional slats to the ends of the roll-out sheathing.

The roll-out sheathing described herein has many uses in a variety of fields, including but not limited to roofing, flooring, housing, roadways and the like. The present invention is well suited for deployment as a temporary repair of damaged roofing and for temporary protection for windows, glass doors and other easily damaged structures of a residential or commercial structure in areas prone to hurricanes and other damaging conditions. Additionally, the present invention can be utilized as permanent building material for roofing and flooring. Moreover, the present invention can be utilized as a temporary road surface at construction and mining sites, where permanent cement or asphalt road surfaces are impractical. When intended as a surface for use by heavy vehicles, the slats of the present invention can be constructed of steel or aluminum and may be solid throughout.

The present invention has been described herein with reference to certain exemplary and/or preferred embodiments. These embodiments are offered as merely illustrative, and not limiting, on the scope of the invention. Certain other alterations and modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, which is defined solely with reference to the following appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A slat for use in a roll-out structure of construction material, comprising: an elongated body extending longitudinally; a projection disposed at a first lateral end of the body; a socket disposed at a second lateral end of the body, the second lateral end being opposite to the first lateral end, wherein the projection and the socket are structurally complementary to each other; and a wedge associated with the projection.
 2. The slat according to claim 1, further comprising: a ledge disposed at the first lateral end of the body; and a shelf disposed at the second lateral end of the body, wherein the ledge has a bottom surface and the shelf has a top surface, the bottom surface and the top surface being substantially vertically aligned with each other.
 3. The slat according to claim 1, further comprising a first beveled edge disposed at the first lateral end of the body and a second beveled edge disposed at the second lateral end of the body.
 4. The slat according to claim 1, wherein both the projection and the socket are substantially cylindrical and have a circular lateral cross section.
 5. The slat according to claim 4, wherein the wedge is integrally formed with the projection and wherein the circumferential span of the wedge with respect to the center of the circular lateral cross section of the projection is at the range of 5°-30°.
 6. The slat according to claim 5, wherein the circumferential span of the wedge is 15°.
 7. The slat according to claim 1, further comprising at least one hole formed in the body.
 8. The slat according to claim 1, further comprising at least one opening formed in the body, which opening is exposed to a bottom surface of the body.
 9. The slat according to claim 1, wherein the projection comprises a groove and the socket comprises an elevation, wherein the groove and the elevation are structurally complementary to each other.
 10. A roll-out structure of construction material, comprising at least a first slat and a second slat which are structurally the same, each slat comprising: an elongated body extending longitudinally; a projection disposed at a lateral end of the body and a socket disposed at an opposite lateral end of the body, the projection and the socket being structurally complementary to each other, wherein the projection of the first slat is insertable into the socket of the second slat to connect the first slat to the second slat, wherein a gap is provided between the projection of the first slat and the socket of the second slat to allow rotation of the projection in the socket; and a wedge associated with the projection, wherein the wedge of the first slat engages the socket of the second slat to lock the first slat and the second slat, upon rotation of the projection of the first slat in the socket of the second slat.
 11. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, wherein each slat further comprises: a ledge disposed at the lateral end of the body; and a shelf disposed at the opposite lateral end of the body, wherein the ledge has a bottom surface and the shelf has a top surface, the bottom surface and the top surface being substantially vertically aligned with each other.
 12. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, wherein each slat further comprises a first beveled edge disposed at the lateral end of the body and a second beveled edge disposed at the opposite lateral end of the body.
 13. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, wherein both the projection and the socket are substantially cylindrical and have a circular lateral cross section.
 14. The roll-out structure according to claim 13, wherein the wedge is integrally formed with the projection and wherein the circumferential span of the wedge with respect to the center of the circular lateral cross section of the projection is at the range of 5°-30°.
 15. The roll-out structure according to claim 14, wherein the circumferential span of the wedge is 15°.
 16. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, further comprising at least one hole formed in the body.
 17. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, further comprising at least one opening, which opening is exposed to a bottom surface of the body.
 18. The roll-out structure according to claim 10, wherein the projection comprises a groove and the socket comprises an elevation, wherein the groove and the elevation are structurally complementary to each other. 